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G4TNU > NEWS 07.12.11 18:09l 163 Lines 7834 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 11 Dec
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 11th December 2011
The news headlines:
* Distance Learning for the Advanced Exam
* AMSAT-UK net news
* GB2RS news broadcasts over Christmas
Following the successful conclusion of the June to December distance
learning course with the Advanced exam last Monday evening the
Bath-based team are planning to do it all over again. There are over
40 names on the waiting list already, but there is room for more; the
last course started with 64 students and eight tutors. The next
virtual course will start at the end of January and head for the July
exam. The exam can be sat either in Bath or at a local exam centre.
There are no fees for the classes but students will need a copy of
the RSGB Advance! textbook and will, of course, need to pay the exam
fee of GBP 37.50. The team are considering changing a deposit that
will be refunded to those that see the course through to the end;
those that drop out donate their deposit to a radio charity.
How does it work? Each week, students will receive guided reading
instructions and revision questions to test recollection and/or
understanding. Tutors will mark e-mailed answers and will provide
worked solutions in return. Tutors will also provide points of
clarification on request. The material is supplemented by additional
exercises and video demonstrations on YouTube. Further details can be
had from Steve Hartley, G0FUW, who is QTHR, listed on www.QRZ.com and
can be emailed via G0FUW<at>tiscali.co.uk.
The AMSAT-UK net is held every Sunday morning at 10am local time on
3.780MHz LSB plus or minus QRM. The net is open to all and anyone
wishing to find out more about amateur satellite operating is welcome
to call in. Recording of previous nets can be heard at
http://tinyurl.com/AMSATnet.
The last GB2RS script for this year will be dated 18 December 2011.
There will be no GB2RS scripts prepared for 25 December and 1
January, although some newsreaders may wish to conduct news nets with
their regular listeners. GB2RS News will recommence on 8 January
2012. The RSGB would like to take this opportunity to thank the
dedicated band of newsreaders for another year of service to the
amateur radio community.
It looks like the AO-51 amateur radio satellite that was in orbit and
serving the world-wide amateur radio community for the better part of
7 years has finally gone QRT. The last telemetry data received had
indicated that the third of six batteries that power AO-51 was
approaching a short circuit condition. Further observation indicated
the voltage from three remaining cells was insufficient to power the
UHF transmitters. The command team will regularly attempt
communications with the satellite over the coming months as there is
always the possibility that a cell will open from its short circuited
state and make AO-51 useful once again.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Saturday 17 December sees the 10th Waters and Stanton annual
Christmas open day, which is sponsored by Yaesu UK Ltd. Chelmsford
Amateur Radio Society, Essex CW Club, RSGB rep Mark Sanderson and
staff from Yaesu will be in attendance.
Friskney & East Lincolnshire Communications Club's mid-winter
tabletop sale and auction will take place on 3 January at the
Friskney Village Hall, Church Road, Friskney, Lincolnshire PE22 8RR.
The event includes the special event station GB2YR. Doors open 7pm
and entry is GBP 1.50. Tables are 2 for 1 at GBP 4 and there will be
free tea & coffee. Details from Ian Donnelly, 2E0XOD, 07554 362 020.
Now for the news of special events
We have no details of special events for the forthcoming week.
And now the HF DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
AH0AJ will be active as KG4AJ from Guantanamo Bay for the next two
years. QSL only via his home callsign.
Pierre, HB9AMO is back in Haiti until 8 January. He will be active as
HH2/HB9AMO. The operation will be CW only using a TS-50 into a wire
antenna and tuner. QSL info is via PA7FM.
Peri, HB9IQB will be active as E44PM from Palestine for a couple of
weeks starting on 16 December. He plans to operate CW, SSB and RTTY
on 10 to 40 metres with a focus on CW and 12, 17 and 30 metres. QSL
via his home callsign, direct or bureau and LoTW. Further
information, log search included, can be found at
www.hb9iqb.ch/palestine.html.
Now the contest news
The 432MHz UK Activity Contest takes place on 13 December from 2000
to 2230UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator.
The RAC Canadian Winter Contest takes place on the 17th. There are
nine entry categories with various power levels, single- and
multi-op, CW- and phone-only, multi-single and multi-multi. A
certificate is awarded to the top scoring station in each DXCC
entity, so several could be awarded to UK stations. Running for the
full 24 hours using CW and ‘phone only on the 1.8 to 144MHz bands,
the exchange is signal report and serial number, although Canadian
stations will give their Province code as well.
On 20 December, the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest takes place from 2000
to 2230. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator.
And now the solar factual data for the period from the 28th of
November to the 4th of December, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on
the 5th of December.
The solar disc had numerous sunspot groups visible every day, some
small and others larger that produced small C class solar flares
every day. Interestingly, the majority of sunspot groups for the last
few months have been located in the northern hemisphere. Several
erupting filaments also took place and produced coronal mass
ejections, but none headed our way. Solar flux levels increased
steadily from 138 units on the 28th to 164 by the 4th. The average
was 151. The 90 day solar flux average on the 4th was 144, that's
three units up on last week. X-ray flux levels varied little day to
day and averaged B5.5 units. Geomagnetic activity was quiet to just
unsettled every day. The most disturbed day was the 30th with an Ap
index of 10 units. The average was Ap 7 units. Solar wind data from
the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds 370 and 500 kilometres per
second. Particle densities increased to 24 particles per cubic
centimetre on the 29th and 20 on the 2nd. The remaining days
densities were low. Bz varied no more than between minus 12 and plus
10 nanoTeslas.
And finally the solar forecast. Looking at the latest images from the
STEREO Behind spacecraft shows a large ‘active region' that will be
in view by the time this report is broadcast. Therefore, solar
activity could be at least moderate levels or even higher provided
the group is still active. Solar flux levels should be around the
170's for most of the period. Geomagnetic activity is expected to be
quiet every day unless a coronal mass ejection heads our way. MUFs
during daylight hours at equal latitudes should be well above 30MHz
for the whole of the UK. Darkness hour lows should be a around 10MHz.
Paths this week to South America should have a maximum usable
frequency with a 50 per cent success rate of approaching 40MHz. The
optimum working frequency with a 90 per cent success rate will be
about 32MHz. The best time to try this path will be between 1100 and
1600 hours.
And that's all for this week from the propagation team.
And that's the end of the main news for this week prepared by the
Radio Society of Great Britain. Items for inclusion in subsequent
bulletins can be emailed to gb2rs<at>rsgb.org.uk to arrive by
10:00 on the Tuesday before transmission.
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